Tharparkar has potential of becoming wealthiest district of Pakistan
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HYDERABAD: (APP) Tharparkar could be the wealthiest of all districts of the country provided coal extraction scheme and water projects receive the required interest, monitoring and endeavor.
Vice-Chancellor University of Sindh Prof. Dr. Siddique Kalhoro said this while presiding over a daylong conference on "Water Security Planning-Tharparkar".
The conference was organized by Abida Taherani Sindh Development Studies Centre University of Sindh in collaboration with Sukaar Foundation, Water Aid Pakistan and Big Lottery Fund U.K at Pir Hassamuddin Shah Rashdi Auditorium Institute of Sindhology Jamshoro Wednesday.
The conference was followed by screening a documentary film accentuating life and accomplishments of Dr. Taherani who passed away recently.
The Vice-Chancellor assured non-government organizations particularly Sukaar Foundation of the University's fullest support and co-operation in terms of extension of academic collaboration.
He said the NGOs, working for the development of Thar could capitalize on faculty and human resource of the Varsity towards designing and development of water-related projects.
Upon approval, these projects could help overcome water crisis in Thar; he maintained and added that the university had welcomed constructive criticism by the media and assured that they would consider such criticism "instructive".
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Sindh University Mirpurkhas Campus Prof. Dr. Parvez Ahmed Pathan opined that efficient and systematic water management, not water scarcity, was the real problem in Pakistan.
He said the issue of water shortfall and preservation had remained and integral part of Pakistan's national agenda since 1947 for which the institutions like IRSA and CCI had been formulated to ensure judicious distribution of water among provinces. He proposed a national-level effort for resolution of water crisis in Tharparkar.
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Sindh University Thatta Campus Dr. Sarfaraz Hussain Solangi elaborated geological zone break-up of Tharparkar district and assured that the professors of University of Sindh were fully capable of extending technical and academic assistance to Sukaar Foundation and other NGOs working in water sector in Thar region.
The Chief Executive Officer, Sukaar Foundation Abid Channa informed that the organization had formulated recommendations for improvement of water crisis in Thar in the light of their ground research that involved 75 villages of Thar and the same would be submitted to Sindh Government in December 2016.
Prior to this submission, he said, they would consult water experts at University of Sindh to refine those recommendations.
The Senior Programme Manager of Sukaar Foundation Teerath Kumar gave a thread-bare presentation, detailing all important aspects of scarcity and security of water resource in Tharparkar district.
The Coordinator to Chief Minister Sindh for Youth Development Hina Dastagir observed that the provincial government had tried its best to resolve water problems of people of Thar by establishing water supply schemes and by setting up RO plants, but massive demographic and physical scope of Thar had always come as a major hurdle.
Member Syndicate and President of Sindh University Teachers
Association Dr. Arfana Mallah said the people of Thar felt neglected and marginalized.
Water expert Prof. Mushtaq Mirani said that population explosion in the country in general and in Thar in particular was the major factor responsible for water dilemma.
He said human population of 1.5 million and live-stock population of 6 million in Thar was massive enough, to devour any resource whatsoever.
Among others, Prof. Ghulam Hussain Khaskheli, Prof. Dr. Iqbal Ahmed Panhwar, Prof. Iqbal Ahmed Kazi, Prof. Dr. Nagina Parveen Soomro, SU Registrar Ghulam Muhammad Bhutto and Saeed Ahmed Mangi also attended the conference besides a large number of teachers, officers, employees and students of the university.
